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Topic: Area 51 future versions and OXCE (Read 743 times)

Starting with the next version 0.965, Area 51 will fully migrate to OXCE to take advantage of its extra modding abilities. This is a decision that I've been considering for more than a year since it will mean that Area 51 cannot be used with the nightlies, but OXCE's development has really made me rethink the benefits versus the disadvantages of such a move.

As a result, here's a list of the already implemented features for version 0.965: * Xenophobia levels - depending on the mission or type of UFO encountered, your units may suffer a morale penalty to reflect the 'fear of the unknown' present when encountering extraterrestrial entities and their technology. This penalty has a chance of be applied on each turn (on average 10 morale points per unit). Soldiers may be subject to different types of Xenophobia in UFO and Alien Base missions. Xenophobia essentially acts as a soft timer for actively hunt and kill the aliens in those missions to compensate for the growing morale loss* Fire Extinguisher (used by Meridian on his Area 51 LP)* Pilots - crafts now require pilots which are recruited separately from soldiers, and are also a part of the ground team during missions. Pilots and other crew assigned to a craft have a 75% chance of surviving if their transport is shot down by hostile craft* XCom crafts are now kept if Escape, Extraction and Defense missions are lost, and also in some of the Council special missions

Just a rant, but maybe it wouldn't hurt to release it as 1.0 for OXC... and then continue with 1.1, 1.2, etc. for OXCE.I'm slowly getting allergic to versions like 0.99z9f2

The issue I see with a 1.0 release is that people might expect that work will continue for the nightly version, when I have no intention of keeping and updating two separate versions. Plus, I'd really like to make a 1.0 release when the missing images are someday added.

I'll bump the version to 0.97 instead of 0.965 because the change is important enough. That leaves 29 numbers until 1.0 is released, which should be enough (I don't plan on going the Piratez way for numbering )

* Fixed map generation bug with Dawn City terrain* Fixed map block with missing stair holes in Slum terrain* Added Spacefarer Navigator rank* Changed: XCom crafts are now kept if Escape, Extraction and Defense missions are lost* Added Fire Extinguisher item* Removed: alien base radar range; fixed other starting variables* Added Xenophobia mechanism: during UFO and Alien Base missions it is possible for XCom units to suffer a morale loss each turn (50% chance) of ~15 points. This mechanism happens in most Alien Base missions, along with Cydonia, and roughly in 50% of all UFOs spawned. A similar startingCondition is also used in the Escape missions, but the penalty there is of ~10 points* Changed: Darkstar craft can now be set to autopatrol a region* Changed: Blackbird's unit capacity has been upgraded to 12* Added: pilots are now required for all craft, a single pilot for interceptor crafts and and two pilots for all transport craft. Pilots can be recruited just like normal soldiers and will be present during ground combat missions. They can also gain experience from aerial interceptions. * Changed: human scientist corpses can't be recovered; scientists can surrender * Changed: Laser Minigun now weights 32 and can only be fired with both hands* Changed: UFO numbers have been slightly increased

This is what I have planned for the future since they'll imply several major changes:* Artillery strikes (explosions happening randomly and without warning) and mine fields* Nuclear accident, chemical spills, biological weapons release, etc., * Recovered civilians can become soldiers, pilots, scientists or engineers, but their death in the battlefield will also mean a greater morale loss* Commander Guard and Ethereals will be limited to a single alien base type* Alien bases will upgrade over time in the number of UFO interceptors launched* Spotter/Sniper and Leeroy AI modes* Alert Descriptions for all missions* Missions can give research or items when completed

How about instead of version numbers, you use the calendar? I've seen games where their versions are written as 08/13/2017 or the like, and I think it's useful. Plenty of games and mods seem destined to never reach a final version; so rather than working towards some mythical 1.0, just have a release date as its version number. Not only will it be easier to compare it to past versions, but people won't be turned away by a seemingly incomplete product just because the listed version isn't 1.0 yet or ever will be.

How about instead of version numbers, you use the calendar? I've seen games where their versions are written as 08/13/2017 or the like, and I think it's useful. Plenty of games and mods seem destined to never reach a final version; so rather than working towards some mythical 1.0, just have a release date as its version number. Not only will it be easier to compare it to past versions, but people won't be turned away by a seemingly incomplete product just because the listed version isn't 1.0 yet or ever will be.

I feel now like I could write an entire book on software number versions!

But honestly, Area 51 is so developed at this stage that version 0.98 should see full OXCE integration and implementation, and afterwards it's merely bug fixing and balance. The only thing really missing are Ufopaedia sprites and such but 1.0 will be released later this year whether the missing artwork is done or not.